Most embarrasing moment EVER
Feb 2nd, 2006, 05:21 AM
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Most embarrasing moment EVER
Hi all!
According to the Associated Press, a tourist at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, tripped over his shoelaces, fell down a flight of stairs, and crashed into a display case holding three Qing dynasty vases. The vases toppled over and smashed into pieces. The museum officials, quite graciously, said that they were glad that the visitor escaped injury, and that the vases, although in tiny, tiny pieces, would be restored. To view the article, go to http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/eu....ap/index.html
This must be the ALL TIME MOST EMBARRASSING THING EVER!
But, we all have stories to tell...
What is your most embarrassing travel moment?
According to the Associated Press, a tourist at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, tripped over his shoelaces, fell down a flight of stairs, and crashed into a display case holding three Qing dynasty vases. The vases toppled over and smashed into pieces. The museum officials, quite graciously, said that they were glad that the visitor escaped injury, and that the vases, although in tiny, tiny pieces, would be restored. To view the article, go to http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/eu....ap/index.html
This must be the ALL TIME MOST EMBARRASSING THING EVER!
But, we all have stories to tell...
What is your most embarrassing travel moment?
Feb 2nd, 2006, 05:32 AM
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Feb 2nd, 2006, 05:39 AM
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I've read this story before, and I was just wondering if the visitor needed to pay any damages? Of course he can't afford the vases but that means anyone who accidently break something in a museum would walk out free?
Feb 2nd, 2006, 05:40 AM
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I thought of mine immediately, and I probably shouldn't tell, but...
I was in Helen, Georgia, U.S.A. which is, without a doubt, the world's tackiest tourist trap. For those who don't know, it is a re-creation of a Bavarian village in Blue Ridge mountains. Anyway, I had to go to the bathroom and there were a large basin, somewhat lower to the ground than a sink would normally be with water trickling at intervals from a central fixture. Since it didn't look like any sink I'd seen before any more than it did a urinal, I relieved myself in it. I must have had my doubts and I described it to my friend who was from near there. He said, "You just pee'd in the sink." It seems very stupid now, but I guess I had to go badly and wasn't thinking straight! (P.S. There were lots of people in that restroom.)
I was in Helen, Georgia, U.S.A. which is, without a doubt, the world's tackiest tourist trap. For those who don't know, it is a re-creation of a Bavarian village in Blue Ridge mountains. Anyway, I had to go to the bathroom and there were a large basin, somewhat lower to the ground than a sink would normally be with water trickling at intervals from a central fixture. Since it didn't look like any sink I'd seen before any more than it did a urinal, I relieved myself in it. I must have had my doubts and I described it to my friend who was from near there. He said, "You just pee'd in the sink." It seems very stupid now, but I guess I had to go badly and wasn't thinking straight! (P.S. There were lots of people in that restroom.)
Feb 2nd, 2006, 06:27 AM
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I was very young and staying in my first really posh hotel (in San Francisco). We had been out on the town and I was feeling rather like a movie star.
Somehow, and I'm still not sure how, I knocked over the large ashtray full of sand in the lobby in front of the elevators. It fell over so sloooowly and gracefully, the sand shot out of it in a perfect 15 foot fan, all over the incredibly beautiful rugs.
I was relieved recently to be back in that same hotel and notice those ashtrays are no longer there.
Somehow, and I'm still not sure how, I knocked over the large ashtray full of sand in the lobby in front of the elevators. It fell over so sloooowly and gracefully, the sand shot out of it in a perfect 15 foot fan, all over the incredibly beautiful rugs.
I was relieved recently to be back in that same hotel and notice those ashtrays are no longer there.
Feb 2nd, 2006, 10:46 AM
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In high school I went on a class trip to England, France, and Spain. In a restaurant in Seville they only had picutres on the bathroom doors - a bullfighter and a flamenco dancer. I looked at the first door, must have just seen ruffles in the picture and went in. I found it odd that there was a urinal in there, but figured we had seen unisex bathrooms in London, this restaurant must have just one bathroom. I came out to see a classmate waiting for the bathroom and I told her she probably didn't want to go in there because it was gross. Her reply "Why would I want to go to the men's room?"
Not so embarassing as I look back, but at the time she was a "cool" girl and I was not so I was really embarrassed.
After that I really looked at the bathroom doors before going in!
Not so embarassing as I look back, but at the time she was a "cool" girl and I was not so I was really embarrassed.
After that I really looked at the bathroom doors before going in!
Feb 2nd, 2006, 10:58 AM
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I got locked in a tiny ladies powder-room stall at the Sacher Hotel in Vienna. It was my first trip to Europe and I was a bit daunted in the first place and then when I could not reopen the door and the ladies started yelling at me and I couldn't understand them I got all overwrought myself. I tried to unlock it to no avail.
The matron called the manager who was a man and he started pounding on the door like I had locked myself in there on purpose. Then he started shouting and all the ladies chimed in, it was a nightmare.
My boyfriend said later he could hear the commotion from the dining area but had no idea I was the center of the attention.
Then they started trying to fit keys into the locked door, shouting and pounding all the while. Finally they got the door to open and I made my grand exit to jeers and dirty looks! The matron ran into the little stall to look around maybe thinking I had pocketed extra TP? Who knows.
It was a horrible, embarrassing experience because I was so inexperienced. No wonder I hated the dry old Sacher torte I tried to wash down with expresso afterwards.
So now when someone mentions the Sacher Hotel I get powder room-terrorist flashbacks!
The matron called the manager who was a man and he started pounding on the door like I had locked myself in there on purpose. Then he started shouting and all the ladies chimed in, it was a nightmare.
My boyfriend said later he could hear the commotion from the dining area but had no idea I was the center of the attention.
Then they started trying to fit keys into the locked door, shouting and pounding all the while. Finally they got the door to open and I made my grand exit to jeers and dirty looks! The matron ran into the little stall to look around maybe thinking I had pocketed extra TP? Who knows.
It was a horrible, embarrassing experience because I was so inexperienced. No wonder I hated the dry old Sacher torte I tried to wash down with expresso afterwards.
So now when someone mentions the Sacher Hotel I get powder room-terrorist flashbacks!
Feb 2nd, 2006, 12:20 PM
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Last year in Munich...
Worn out after walking from the Theatinerkirche, I sank into an outdoor seat at a beer garden near Marienplatz. A 50ish, blonde, dirndl-clad waitress came to my table, and I asked for a Weizenbier, as I had heard others do. To my surprise, she reappeared in a few minutes with a beer glass as long as my forearm! Luckily, I really like beer.
At the precise moment I paid her, a little fly dove straight into the beer! She saw this, took a knife, fished out the tiny suicide, and presented the glass to me again with a dazzling smile.
My astonishment must have showed on my face, for in a second I saw it mirrored on hers. "Jetzt koennen Sie es nicht <i>trinken</i>???" she fairly shouted, rolling her eyes to a magenta-haired woman at a nearby table. From that quarter she received a knowing look in confirmation: "Die Amerikanerin ist ja ganz verrückt."
"No! Nein! It's okay!" I babbled frantically, thinking: <i>Leave. Now.</i>
Too late. The waitress snatched the glass from the table and flounced back to the bar with it. She soon returned with a fresh beer (or perhaps the same one, now topped with some of her spittle), and placed it before me with a contemptuous flourish. "Danke," I muttered, and downed the beer at top speed before racing off to the Marienplatz S-Bahn station.
Worn out after walking from the Theatinerkirche, I sank into an outdoor seat at a beer garden near Marienplatz. A 50ish, blonde, dirndl-clad waitress came to my table, and I asked for a Weizenbier, as I had heard others do. To my surprise, she reappeared in a few minutes with a beer glass as long as my forearm! Luckily, I really like beer.
At the precise moment I paid her, a little fly dove straight into the beer! She saw this, took a knife, fished out the tiny suicide, and presented the glass to me again with a dazzling smile.
My astonishment must have showed on my face, for in a second I saw it mirrored on hers. "Jetzt koennen Sie es nicht <i>trinken</i>???" she fairly shouted, rolling her eyes to a magenta-haired woman at a nearby table. From that quarter she received a knowing look in confirmation: "Die Amerikanerin ist ja ganz verrückt."
"No! Nein! It's okay!" I babbled frantically, thinking: <i>Leave. Now.</i>
Too late. The waitress snatched the glass from the table and flounced back to the bar with it. She soon returned with a fresh beer (or perhaps the same one, now topped with some of her spittle), and placed it before me with a contemptuous flourish. "Danke," I muttered, and downed the beer at top speed before racing off to the Marienplatz S-Bahn station.
Feb 3rd, 2006, 03:35 AM
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Travelling ANYWHERES with my mother has been an exercise in humiliation, given that she is completely insensitive to the cultures in other countries...
That aside, one of the most embarrasing moments was when my family (mom, dad, sibs...) travelled to England many years ago. My parents rented a motorhome for us. One day, my dad was driving along the major road, when we came across a HUGE sign: Roundabout 500m. Followed by another sign: Roundabout 250m. Followed by another HUGE SIGN, with flashing lights: CAUTION ROUNDABOUT 100m. Well, Dad couldn't see where this huge, obviously dangerous roundabout was (in our hometown, we have roundabouts, but they are very, very large and you CAN'T miss them). He started yelling: Where IS it? Where IS IT? WHERE IS IT? And mom started yelling back: I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!!!!and opened the window to stick her head out (as if she could see better), where upon our only map was carried away, out of the motorhome, by the wind. My brother and sister started screaming: STOP! STOP THE CAR! STOP!!! and my dad began to yell at them to SHUT UP! I CAN'T THINK! WHERE IS IT! SHUT UP! I CAN'T THINK! WHERE IS IT!!!!!
And at that point, we all felt a "bump bump" as our motorhome drove exactly over the roundabout, which was as large as a hubcap.
Fortunately we didn't hit anything or anyone, but I cringe to think of what the locals thought of our obviously out-of-control motorhome, with two red-faced adults screaming at the top of their lungs, stuffed with screaming children in the back, maps flying everywheres, as we rocketed completely across a roundabout...
That aside, one of the most embarrasing moments was when my family (mom, dad, sibs...) travelled to England many years ago. My parents rented a motorhome for us. One day, my dad was driving along the major road, when we came across a HUGE sign: Roundabout 500m. Followed by another sign: Roundabout 250m. Followed by another HUGE SIGN, with flashing lights: CAUTION ROUNDABOUT 100m. Well, Dad couldn't see where this huge, obviously dangerous roundabout was (in our hometown, we have roundabouts, but they are very, very large and you CAN'T miss them). He started yelling: Where IS it? Where IS IT? WHERE IS IT? And mom started yelling back: I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!!!!and opened the window to stick her head out (as if she could see better), where upon our only map was carried away, out of the motorhome, by the wind. My brother and sister started screaming: STOP! STOP THE CAR! STOP!!! and my dad began to yell at them to SHUT UP! I CAN'T THINK! WHERE IS IT! SHUT UP! I CAN'T THINK! WHERE IS IT!!!!!
And at that point, we all felt a "bump bump" as our motorhome drove exactly over the roundabout, which was as large as a hubcap.
Fortunately we didn't hit anything or anyone, but I cringe to think of what the locals thought of our obviously out-of-control motorhome, with two red-faced adults screaming at the top of their lungs, stuffed with screaming children in the back, maps flying everywheres, as we rocketed completely across a roundabout...
